Feral Instincts
by Lizzie Leigh
Summary: *UPDATED!* Brennan and Shalimar are sent on an important mission by Adam. What they find will forever change the Mutant X team and life back at Sanctuary. takes place during S2. BrenxShal JessxEmma
1. The Target

Well here it is my long awaited Mutant X fic. Ok so the only people waiting for it were Nikko-chan and myself but its an awesome story anyway, so read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not any any way shape or form own Mutant X, but you already knew that.

oh and Rei is pronounced like Ray. and the title of the story may change if I can come up with something better, if it does i will be sure to let everyone know.

* * *

Shalimar and Brennan crouched in the shadows around the corner of an abandoned warehouse. Brennan fidgeted impatiently while Shal cased the building with her feral senses.

As far as she could tell there were nine people in the building, and there was a very heated argument taking place.

The feral female turned to face her elemental partner.

"You go in the back; I'll go in the front. There are eight men plus our target inside. Once we're in place we'll go on your signal."

"Got it."

Brennan crept almost silently down the alleyway before disappearing around the corner. At the same time Shalimar silently made her way to the front entrance.

There were no guards and she stealthily let herself in.

A dark hallway stretched for about thirty feet with office doors lining both sides. A thick layer of dust covered the floors, and Shal could hear several rats scurrying through the walls.

At the end of the thirty feet the hall turned to the right, revealing several more office doors. The last door on left had a tiny sliver of light peeking out from under it. That was where the voices were coming from.

She could clearly hear shouts and yelling on the other side of the thick door. The scent of fresh blood filled the air. The feral quickly covered the ground between her and the door and pushed it open just the tiniest bit to get a view of the room.

On the other side of the large open room that was littered with shipping crates, Shalimar could see the cluster of people. There were two men holding up a young woman by the arms, while a third man repeatedly backhanded her across the face. Four more men stood behind them cheering and yelling.

Shalimar quickly stepped into the room and hid behind one of the many large shipping crates that separated her from them.

Now the feral could see another man that was blocked from her view through the door. Hewas less disheveled than the rest of the men and it looked to herlike he was the guy in charge.

When he walked over to the men that held the girl every eye in the room was on him. At the gesture of his hand everyone stopped what they were doing and focused on him.

Shal moved closer, wanting to hear what this man was about to say. She chose a spot in the shadows about ten feet from the group, behind yet another cluster of shipping crates. From her vantage point she could clearly see the leader, the girl, and the rest of the men.

The evil grimace that clouded the leader's already dark features told Shalimar that this situation was about to take a bad turn.

"Bren, are you almost in place?" She whispered into her comm ring.

"Almost. Just give me five minutes."

"We may not have five minutes."

Shal's attention switched back to the man in charge as he told the man who was previously beating the girl to rejoin the group.

The girl struggled to get away as the leader walked toward her, but the men holding her didn't budge. The dark man hovered right in front of her and she began to sob, dropping her head.

She jerked away as the leader's hand brushed against her cheek. He grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to look up at him.

"Are you proud of yourself? That little stunt you pulled cost us three men and the money."

Tears were streaming down the young woman's face, but her eyes were fixed in a steely glare.

"I told you before Taylor. I will not be a part of this anymore. I'm done."

The leader, Taylor, whipped his freehand across her face. His ring split open her cheek, and crimson blood spilled down her face, dripping to the floor.

"That is not a decision you are able to make. In case you have forgotten… I OWN you!"

Taylor released her chin and gave a signal to the men holding her. They released her arms and without their support she fell to her hands and knees.

Turning his back to her, Taylor started to walk away. After only a few steps he charged back, throwing his foot into her side with the force of a freight train.

The power of the blow forced all of the air out of her body with a whoosh and sent her tumbling across the concrete floor. She finally came to a stop when she crashed into a row of the crates.

The young woman laid there face down, coughing and gasping for air as Taylor stalked over to her.

"Taylor… Please…" She panted, looking up at him with desperate eyes.

"No Rei. There is a price for you betrayal, and you WILL pay it." He laid into her again, his foot connecting solidly with her abdomen over and over.

Shalimar practically shouted into her comm ring. "BREN! Where ARE you? We gotta go NOW!"

"I'm almost there!"

Shal's heart raced. "He is going to kill her!"

"Shal just wait a few more seconds…"

"Brennan I can't. I'm going in."

Ignoring her teammate's protests, she charged in.

In a few quick movements, Shalimar was the only one left standing in the room. Brennan finally made it in, busting through the barricaded back door. He rushed over to the panting feral.

"Shal, are you okay?"

"Took you long enough." Shalimar sighed as she brushed past him and hurried over to the young woman.

Brennan wasgoingto respond, but he shut his mouth when Shal leaned over the injured girl. She had curled herself intoa fetal position, covering her head with her arms.

The young woman jumped when Shal touched her shoulder.

"It's okay. You're safe now." The feral said reassuringly.

The young woman lowered her arms and stared at the two Mutant X members with terrified eyes.

Shalimar helped her when she began to sit up. The girl's eyes flashed yellow as pain shot through her torso. She wrapped her left arm around her wounded ribs and used her right to shift into a sitting position.

Brennan stifled a gasp. He knew Adam had sent them to pick up a new mutant, but it hadn't occurred to him that it would be a feral.

"That man, Taylor, called you Rei. Is that your name?"

The woman eyed Shalimar for a moment before whipping the blood off her cheek and answering her.

"Yeah. Raina actually."

Brennan held out his hand. "Well Raina, how would you feel about getting out of here and heading back to a safe house with us?"

Rei laughed. "A safe house? What, are you guys cops or something?"

"No, we're like you and we're here to help." Shal said, her eyes flashing the same golden color that Rei's had.

Rei pulled back with a sharp gasp, her eyes betraying her intense fear.

"I'm not going back there! I won't!" She yelled scooting away from them.

Brennan pulled back his hand and glanced at Shal before moving closer to the terrified girl.

"It's alright, we're not going to hurt you." He said in a smooth tone, gingerly touching her arm.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Rei screamed, batting Brennan's hand away. "I'm not going back to Genomex!"

Shalimar and Brennan exchanged shocked glances. Rei's eyes darted back and forth between the two teammates nervously.

Brennan held his hands up in surrender.

"Whoa, whoa. Kid you got the wrong idea here. We're not with Genomex."

Rei let down her guard the slightest bit. "Really? You swear?"

Shalimar kneeled down next to the suspicious teenager. "I promise. Now let's get out of here before these guys wake up."

As if to accentuate her point, one of the downed men let out a guttural groan and rolled onto his side.

Shal helped Rei up and with a supportive arm wrapped around the girl's hip, they made their way back to the Helix a half block away.

As Brennan was guiding the aircraft through the sky, Shalimar studied Rei intently. The young woman sat in the back corner seat of the Helix, as far away from the other two new mutants as possible.

She had pulled her feet up onto the seat and hugged her knees to her chest. Her chin was rested on top of her knees and she stared blankly at the back of the seat in front of her.

Big swooping curls of deep reddish brown, almost maroon, hair spilled over her shoulders and framed her bruised face. The stark white bandage Shal had covered the deep gash on her cheek with was already soaked through with a crimson streak.

Rei's dark emerald eyes held so much pain and apprehension that Shalimar was almost overwhelmed and had to look away.

Shalimar spent the remainder of the ten minute trip to the safe house studying the flight panel.


	2. History

Well here is Chapter two. I would like to thank the 4 of you that have reviewed so far, I love hearing from you guys good or bad so keep the comments coming. and to answer one question real quick we will be getting to the Emma Jesse stuff pretty soon.

Here it is and I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!

All disclaimers apply.

* * *

Once they had reached the safe house, Shalimar dug out some clothes that looked like they may fit red haired beauty and left Rei alone to take a shower and change.

-----

Rei peeled of her dirt infused clothing and stepped into the shower. The scalding water felt good as it rushed over her shoulders and down her body. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed a nice long hot relaxing shower.

While she was scrubbing the dirt off her skin Rei took inventory on the damage Taylor's beating had caused. Over all it wasn't that bad and looked much worse than it really was.

Enormous black and purple bruises crawled across her stomach and back, but there were no broken bones. Several small cuts that littered her arms and legs, the large cut on her right cheek, and several light bruises over her face finished the list.

Rei counted herself lucky that this time she was no worse for wear. There had been other occasions when she had been unable to walk for days after one of Taylor's brutal outbursts.

After she had removed all the dirt, washed her hair, and taken a few minutes just to relax in the embrace of the soothing water, Rei dried off and changed into the clothes Shalimar had given her.

The outfit consisted of a blue-green swoop neck ¾ sleeve top and a white knee length skirt with a pattern of interlocking circles that were black, peach, and the same blue green color in the top.

Both pieces of clothing were too big for Rei's starved frame. The shirt slid off one shoulder, and the skirt barely clung to her hips. Ignoring the ill fitting clothes, Rei pulled her hair back into a long braid, replaced the bandage on her face, and timidly stepped out into the main room.

Brennan had to stop himself from gasping as the young woman stepped out of the bathroom. This was not the same girl they had just rescued from that dirty warehouse.

To him Rei looked as though she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine and into his living room.

Shalimar smiled as she walked over to her fellow feral. "You look so great!"

Rei blushed and nervously pulled at the waist of the skirt. "The clothes are a little big."

"Nonsense, they look great on you. Plus they're the smallest size I found so you're stuck with them until we get back to sanctuary." Shal said pulling Rei into the kitchen.

She sat down on one of the stools at the counter and Rei followed suit.

"Sanctuary?" Rei asked more than a little confused.

Brennan slid both ladies a bottle of water and an orange and sat down on the opposite side of the counter. "That's where we're headed after this."

Rei absently started peeling the orange as she tried to figure out just what was going on. "What for?"

-------

Rei's head was still spinning an hour later as she sat in the helix with the others on their way to sanctuary.

The cliff notes version of what she had been told stated that there was this guy Adam, who headed the mutant underground and a special team known as Mutant X, had sent Shalimar and Brennan to pick up Rei after hearing about her talents from one of his sources. The two teammates weren't sure why Adam wanted her to come back to sanctuary, but they had both explained to Rei that she wasn't in any danger.

With more questions than answers and no where else to go Rei had reluctantly agreed to go with them.

The young feral studied Shalimar and Brennan from her seat. She had been transfixed by Brennan's ability to control electricity. She hadn't seen it in real action, but Brennan had done a small demonstration for her back at the safe house.

Shalimar was the one who really fascinated her though. Rei had never met another feral before.

In fact, the only new mutants she had ever seen were back at Genomex a few years ago, that is with the exception of Taylor. Rei met the elemental during her brief stay at the GSA.

After her mother had died when she was ten, Rei spent the next three years being bounced around from one foster home to the next. She had always kept her new mutancy a secret, but at every home it had gotten her into trouble.

Finally, she had enough of being a ward of the state and took off. It was during that year she spent on the street that Rei honed her mutant abilities in the art of thievery. It was also that year when she got picked up by the GSA.

Since she was only fourteen at the time, Genomex had decided to mold her into an operative in their quest to destroy their enemies.

That was when she had met Taylor.

Taylor was 18 at the time and was just about to graduate the program as a full fledged GSA agent. What they didn't know was that Taylor was just biding his time, playing along until he could escape.

Rei was captivated by the charismatic elemental who could manipulate fire, and Taylor took full advantage of her loyalty. Every free moment of the four months Rei had spent there was used to develop an escape plan.

The plan worked flawlessly and when they had finally gotten away from Genomex, Rei decided to stay with Taylor. The two new mutants joined a small street gang, but as rumors of their larcenous talents got around they found themselves playing in the big leagues.

It was then, that Taylor had begun to change. He was consumed by the power he could gain inside the gang circles, and eventually took over his own motley crew. Rei didn't like the person he was becoming, but what could she do?

At first the now nineteen year old Rei, just ignored what he was doing, after all she owed him. But then his scores got bigger and bigger. What started off as cat burglary, shifted into something more sinister.

A few weeks ago they pulled a job in the financial district. It wasn't anything they hadn't done before but it quickly went sideways. One of the less experienced members of the gang accidentally set off a silent alarm. When the guard had come to investigate, he ended up dead.

That night Rei had told Taylor she was done. She should have walked away right then but the ever persuasive gang leader had convinced her through force that there was no way she was bailing on him.

On the next job, the young feral had deliberately set off the alarms. When the police showed up an all out war had ensued. Three of the gang members and five cops had ended up dead, and Taylor made sure that she would pay for what she did.

If Shalimar and Brennan hadn't shown up when they did, she never would have gotten away from him.

Rei was pulled out of her thoughts when the helix banked to the left and straight into a mountain wall. She gasped as the wall shifted around them and then faded away revealing the inside of a hanger.

Once they had landed, Brennan held out his hand out to Rei.

"Welcome to Sanctuary."


	3. Sanctuary

Well here is the next Chapter. first I would like to apologize for the short chapter and the long wait. Second I would like to again thank my reviewers so far, I love hearing from you guys good or bad so keep the comments coming.

Here it is and I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!

All disclaimers apply.

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Taylor was seething.

It had been hours since that blond feral had left his gang unconscious on the floor and he still had no idea who she was.

The only thing the elemental knew for sure was that when he had woken up Rei was gone.

_How dare she leave me after all I've done for her! If that little bitch thinks she's getting away that easy she has another thing coming! She is going to pay. If it is the last thing I do she _will_ pay!_

He couldn't be sure but Taylor thought he heard the feral's partner say something about not being from Genomex. That only left a very short list of who they could be working for, and he planned to tear apart every single one of them until he found her.

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Rei was astonished by the 'sanctuary' Adam had built. The hanger was full of high-tech equipment and gadgets that she scanned with a thief's eye. Without thought she cased the place.

There were three ways in and out of the large hanger not counting the one the plane had come in through.

On the first level, two sets of glass doors at the front to the left and right lead into hallways which, she assumed, connected the hanger to the rest of Sanctuary.

Rei decided the other doors around the hanger were storage.

The third way in and out was a small door on the second level of the hanger.

She followed Brennan and Shalimar through the glass doors to the left and down a narrow corridor.

When the corridor opened up into the main area Rei was almost overwhelmed by her surroundings.

To her right was a large window that showcased the inside of a very high tech lab, sporting top of the line medical equipment.

Her two mutant guides turned to the left and the young feral followed completely awestruck.

She couldn't believe how cool the inside of Sanctuary was.

It was a perfect blend of technology and nature.

The walls incorporated both the natural rock of the mountain and man made support structures. A large number of potted plants and trees littered the main room, and they were thriving thanks to the warm lighting that imitated the sun's rays.

If it weren't for the high-tech media center, Rei would have forgotten she was even inside.

Sitting in front of one of the computers was another member of Mutant X. He was too young to be Adam, so Rei concluded that he was the molecular computer wiz named Jesse.

The blue eyed blond was the epitome of the boy next door. He was shorter than Brennan and lacked the bad boy appeal, but still brought something to the table with his outgoing nature and slightly scruffy look.

Jesse stood and greeted his teammates.

Rei waited quietly behind Shalimar, still a little uneasy about her decision.

Noticing the new face Jesse flashed a big warm smile and extended a hand.

"Hi I'm Jesse Kilmartin. Welcome to Sanctuary."

Rei tentatively shook his hand and studied his face, taking in every detail.

"My name's Rei."

"Well, nice to meet you Rei."

The green eyed feral gently pulled her hand back.

Jesse felt a shiver run up his spine there was so much emotion in her eyes that he just couldn't look away. He could tell she'd been through a lot in life and his heart went out to the young new mutant. But there was something else. Something he just couldn't place.

He was pulled out of his trance by Adam and Emma coming down the stairs.

After introducing himself and Emma, Adam had insisted on treating the young feral's injuries in the lab before doing anything else.

The sharp sterile smell in the lab stung Rei's nose. She glanced over the room with a trained eye and was just as impressed as she had been with the rest of Sanctuary.

Had she been here as a thief, there was enough fancy equipment for a very early retirement.

It was only as she was lying on the soft examination chair that Rei realized just how exhausted she was.

As the computer began its first scan she slowly drifted off to sleep, leaving her self behind and falling into a dream.


	4. Safety?

Well here is Chapter four. first I would like to again apologize for the short chapter and the long wait. Second I would like to again thank my reviewers so far, I love hearing from you guys good or bad so keep the comments coming. 

Here it is and I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!

All disclaimers apply.

* * *

Rei walked the deserted halls of Sanctuary in search of Shalimar and the others. She had woken up alone in the lab and immediately felt that something wasn't right.

The dim lighting in the back hallways only added to her apprehension. Dark shadows were cast across the walls and even her sharp feral senses were unable to cut through the darkness.

When her calls continued to go unanswered and it began to feel like she was walking in circles panic and fear began to creep their way into her mind. Something was definitely wrong.

She gasped and spun around when she caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. There was nothing but an empty hallway and an increasing number of shadows.

The feral could hear her heart beat faster and every single one of her senses were on high alert. Slowly Rei backed down the corridor, her bare feet silent against the cool floor.

Without warning she bumped into something, no someone. She froze. Terror immediately overwhelmed her. The young woman didn't need to turn around to know that it was him.

Taylor had somehow found her.

Tears unconsciously streamed down her cheeks and her body quaked in fear. She jumped when his hands brushed against her shoulders as he leaned in so his mouth was right next to her ear.

"Now, now Rei. Is that anyway to act toward the one who you owe your life to? You left with out even saying goodbye. You have no idea what it took to find you."

Taylor crept around to face the petrified girl.

"We still have a score to settle."

At that moment Rei's fight or flight instinct kicked in and she turned and ran. She barely made it two steps when Taylor's icy grip latched onto her arm. Out of instinct, Rei spun back around and hit him with a hard right directly to his temple.

The blow caught him off guard and he released his grip.

Rei tore down the dark hallway desperately searching for a way out and calling out to the members of Mutant X. Her cries went unanswered and the only sound was Taylor's voice echoing off the walls.

"They can't help you Rei. No one can."

The frightened feral skidded to an abrupt stop with a scream when a wall of flames shot up in front of her. She wasn't quite sure what scared her more the fire or Taylor. She turned to go back the way she came but he was right behind her blocking her path.

He lunged for her and a screaming Rei clenched her eyes shut.

When she didn't feel him grab her she opened her eyes. She was sitting up in the exam chair safely in the lab. Her body was drenched in sweat and still shaking from the nightmare, and her breathing and heartbeat were rapid. She wrapped the soft blanket that was covering her around her shoulders and pulled her knees to her chest.

Within seconds, Shalimar raced into the room. The blond feral's eyes scanned the room thoroughly and then wrapped an arm around the shaking young woman's shoulders.

"Rei, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I had a nightmare that Taylor found me." Rei answered, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Shalimar hugged the terrified feral tighter.

"You're safe here Rei, Taylor is never going to find you here."

Rei pulled a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at Shalimar intently.

"How do you know that? You don't know what he's capable of. How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not sure. But I do know that even if he does find you, he's going to have to go through all of us first."


	5. Shopping Mall Mayhem

Here's Chapter four. Again, I would like to apologize for the super long wait. Second I would like to again thank my reviewers so far, I love hearing from you guys good or bad so keep the comments coming.

Here it is and I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!

All disclaimers apply.

* * *

After Rei had taken a quick shower and they had discovered none of the clothes they had fit her, Shalimar, Emma, Brennan and the new feral were on their way to buy a whole new wardrobe.

From her seat in the Helix, Rei thought about what Shalimar had said back in the lab. She knew Shalimar was trying to make her feel better, but Rei couldn't help but doubt what she had said.

Trusting people was not something that Rei was used to doing. She had only just met Shalimar and the others, how was she supposed to trust them. Everyone in her life had betrayed her at one point or another, and she had no reason to think that this time would be any different.

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Three hours and about a hundred stores later, Brennan stood near the entry way to the dressing rooms with his arms weighed down by the girls' purchases.

Apparently when Adam told Emma and Shal to take Rei to get some clothes that meant they needed to get clothes for themselves as well.

Brennan was pulled out of his thoughts when Rei walked out of the dressing room holding a few sets of clothes.

"You all done trying stuff on?" Brennan asked raising an eyebrow.

Rei smiled shyly as a slight blush crept over her cheeks. "Honestly I was done about a dozen stores ago. But Shalimar and Emma are having such fun I didn't want to ruin it. I'm gunna go put this stuff back ok?"

Brennan started putting all the packages down. "Hold on a sec, I'll go with you."

"No that's okay; I can handle it. It's just over there."

The elemental watched as the young woman walked to the other side of the store and began to put away the clothes in her arms. After a few moments he leaned back up against the wall in thought.

---------------

Rei was just putting the last article of clothing back when she felt someone walk up behind her. Every muscle in her body tensed when she felt his hot breath against her neck.

"Make one single sound and I'll kill you're new little friends."

The terrified feral dropped the clothes she was holding and her eyes shot over to Brennan, who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

Taylor's hands clamped around her stiff shoulders as he leaned in closer. "I mean it! One sound and they're all dead!"

----------------

Emma and Shal came out of the dressing rooms laughing at a joke Brennan hadn't heard. They both stopped short when they noticed Rei was nowhere to be seen.

"Uh Brennan, where's Rei?" Emma asked concerned.

Brennan looked around the store noticing the red head's absence for the first time.

"I don't know. She was just putting away some clothes right over there."

Everything else forgotten the three rushed over to the spot Brennan had pointed out. It was clear by the pile of clothes on the floor that something had happened. A few feet away in the direction of the back exit the bag Emma had let Rei borrow was on the floor with its contents spilled everywhere.

Brennan immediately pulled out what looked like a PDA and clicked it on while Emma filled Adam in through her comm ring. Shalimar leaned over to look at the screen of the device Brennan held.

"Where is she Bren?"

"According to this she's in the parking garage."

Shalimar took off like a shot and Brennan followed calling back to Emma. "Emma move it!"

---------------

Rei struggled and begged as Taylor dragged her through the basement level of the deserted parking garage, but the elemental's iron grip only tightened around her upper arm.

"You're not getting away! Not this time Raina. You are going to pay for what you have done if it's the last thing I do!" Taylor spat furiously.

"Taylor please, just let me go. Please stop! PLEASE!"

The nineteen year old gasped when he did stop and spun around to face her. There was quite literally fire blazing in his grey eyes. He basked in her terror as he roughly grabbed her other arm.

"You really think I give a damn about what you want me to do?!"

He slammed her into the wall behind them so hard that Rei's head began to swim. She screamed out of fear and pain when her arms began to burn where he held them. The smell of burning fabric and flesh stung her nose and tears cascaded down her face.

Once he was satisfied with the wounds he had inflicted, Taylor released Rei's arms and clamped a hand around her throat.

Rei kicked and struggled trying to free herself as he slowly cut off her airway. Her green eyes glowed yellow in pain as he began to burn her neck as well.

"You are nothing without me! I OWN YOU!"

Seemingly out of nowhere Taylor was struck in the shoulder with a blast of electricity that caused him to release his hold on Rei and go flying backwards.

"You might want to rethink that last statement." Brennan said stepping between the wounded feral, who had collapsed to her knees gasping for air, and the very pissed off fire starter.

Shalimar took a defensive position next to Brennan, while Emma went to Rei.

"Rei are you alright?" The telempath asked placing a calming hand on the girl's shoulder.

The young feral shook her head no as the coughing fit subsided. "Not even close… but I will be I think."

Emma carefully helped Rei up to her feet, being cautious to avoid the burns on her arms.

Taylor knew this was one fight he wasn't going to win no matter how badly he wanted to. He glanced between the blond feral and the electric elemental that had taken Rei from the warehouse waiting for either of them to make a move. The elemental stood poised to strike with electricity dancing in his right hand, while the feral stood almost casually watching him intently. Taylor locked eyes with his intended target.

"This is not over! Not by a long shot!"

With one fluid motion the fire starter hit Brennan with a blast of flames that sent him flying back into the wall, and left a line of fire hiding his escape and preventing the feral Shalimar from following.

Not daring to brave the wall of fire before her, Shalimar focused her attention onto Brennan. She helped him up and took inventory of his injuries. Overall he was no worse for wear and came out of the attack virtually unscathed. The fire left streaks of soot on his face, burned a few holes in his shirt, left him with slightly singed hair, and a few light burns on his chest and arms.

Running a hand through his hair and rubbing the back of his head he let out a relieved sigh. "Whew that was close."

Rei leaned against the wall behind her to take some of the pressure off of her trembling legs. "You have no idea just how close."

----------

Back at the helix Shalimar tended to the wounds Rei had sustained, while Brennan treated his own minor burns, and Emma retrieved their abandoned belongings.

The wounds on the young woman's arms were pretty bad. Both of her upper arms had hand shaped second degree burns. Even though Shalimar was trying her best to be gentle in removing the tattered sleeves of Rei's shirt, the poor girl cried out in pain every time she came in even the slightest contact with her burned skin.

Once the fabric was all removed Shalimar sprayed the burns with a topical anesthetic so they could bandage the burns without causing Rei any unnecessary pain. Even with the anesthetic the young feral winced as Shal applied the bandages.

The burn on Rei's neck wasn't nearly as severe or painful. The burn was a simple 1st degree burn, which just resulted in a red handprint and slight bruising from the pressure Taylor had applied.

Shal held back Rei's loose curls as Brennan sprayed a slightly numbing antiseptic on it.

As soon as Emma returned, the helix was up in the air the small group headed back to sanctuary.


	6. A Brave Face

Here's the new chapter finally.

I always seem to find myself apologizing for the super long wait. But considering how many people read this and the almost nonexsistant number of reviews I get I really only feel bad about making the few of you who review wait. Plus I seem to just keep writing myself into circles with this story so it takes me a lot longer to sort through what I come up with.

As Always I would like to again thank my reviewers so far, I love hearing from you guys good or bad so keep the comments coming. Hopefully I won't fall behind as much with this. It is at the top of my list now that school's done for the semester.

Here it is and I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!

All disclaimers apply.

oh and e-dawg I don't really like my title either lol.

* * *

After the shopping mall incident, Taylor was quite literally blazing a path in the floor as he stalked back and forth in his office.

In the room with him were two of his three top people and from the looks of it, they were both more than a little worried about their own personal safety at the moment.

Taylor growled in frustration and slammed his fist into the desk once it came into range. "Damn it! I was so close! Then those damn mutant x freaks had to interfere."

Timidly, one of his lackeys decided to speak up. "Well boss, it's not all bad. At least now we know what group she's with for sure."

The other guy nodded and backed up his friend. "Yeah Taylor. One of our kids happening to spot her in that mall was just dumb luck. Next time we'll have a plan and she won't get away."

A sly smirk crawled across the elemental's face. "You're right. Next time she won't escape."

------------

It had been almost a week since Taylor had found them at the mall, and the encounter still plagued Rei.

Her wounds were slow to heal and the feral's dreams were haunted by Taylor's face. Only with Emma's assistance had Rei been able to get any sleep at all and even then it was only an hour or two before the nightmares would creep in and force her awake.

Shalimar watched through the glass doors of the lab as Adam was changing the girl's bandages. She couldn't help but admire the younger feral. Even though it was obvious that Rei was exhausted and terrified, she still attempted to put up a brave front.

Shal couldn't even imagine the torture that psycho elemental had put Rei through during the time she spent with him, but judging by her fear Shal knew it had to be nothing short of a living hell.

----

Adam was just about finished re-bandaging her arms when Rei simply couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. Against her will her eyes slipped closed and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

----

Brennan came up behind Shalimar and glanced into the lab.

He smiled when he saw Rei sleeping. "Poor kid just couldn't stay awake."

Shalimar sighed. "Considering what little sleep she has had I'm surprised she stayed awake this long."

Brennan leaned over Shal and opened the lab door.

"C'mon. Adam wanted to talk to us when he was done."

As the pair entered the lab, Adam finished putting away the equipment he was using and greeted them.

"So Adam, what did you want to talk to us about?" Brennan asked, leaning back against the counter.

"Well I wanted to go over the mission you three will be going on as soon as possible."

Brennan was a bit confused.

"Wait… Mission? What mission, and by the three of us you mean me, Shal, and Rei?"

Shalimar knew about the plan for the mission, but was shocked that Adam still wanted to put it into action considering what had happened.

"Adam, do you think it's wise to include Rei? I mean the poor kid can hardly function, and I think Brennan and I could handle it on our own."

Adam understood Shal's concern, but there was no way around it. "The two of you can't handle this on your own. We don't get a second chance at this. If we don't stop these people now, then there is simply no stopping them. The three of you will leave in a week, and I'm counting on you both to get Rei ready by then. We have no other choice."

Brennan was unnerved by Adam's tone. "Just what kind of mission are we talking about here?"

"There is a terrorist cell that has started recruiting new mutants. It's mostly been ferals, but they are using any new mutants that posses certain skills."

"You mean like the kind of skills that are useful when relieving others of their belongings." Brennan smirked, catching on.

Adam nodded and Shalimar continued the explanation of the plan.

"The three of us are going to get caught after a little corporate robbery and sent, complete with extensive rap sheets, off to a holding center where some known recruiters work. The plan is to get into the group and then ruin their next big operation."

"And this operation would involve?" Brennan asked, intrigued.

Adam jumped back in. "They are planning on breaking into the company that provided the security programs for most of the nuclear power plants and storage facilities. Their goal is to acquire the coded that would allow them to override the safety protocols and sent the plants into meltdown, while simultaneously stealing the uranium at the storage facilities that is weapons grade."

"And we absolutely have to involve Rei because…"

Adam looked from Brennan to the young woman, who had started tossing and turning in her sleep.

"Because, she is the only one with an established street reputation that won't be questioned. Plus, she's almost as good at hacking computer systems as Jesse is and that is why this mission is going to succeed."

Brennan understood why they needed Rei, but he still didn't like it. Putting her back on the street meant alerting Taylor to her whereabouts and Brennan didn't think the fragile feral could handle another confrontation with her former leader.

As if to confirm his inner concerns, Rei began crying in her sleep. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor she was hooked up to raced, and her breaths came in panicked gasps.

The traumatized girl was obviously trapped in another nightmare.

----

It was Taylor, he was there.

She was sure she was dreaming, but Rei couldn't wake herself up.

He was pacing back and forth in front of her. His menacing grey eyes were smoldering with hatred. Flames danced around his hands.

Rei was desperate to get away but she couldn't move. Like a terrified animal, she was frozen in fear.

Without warning Taylor ignited the air around her.

The feral screamed and pulled back in an attempt to escape, but the flames were everywhere.

Her eyes flashed yellow in terror and her heart raced. Her breathing came in panicked gasps as the circle of flamed closed in on her. Tears streamed down her face as the fire's heat licked at her exposed skin.

Rei screamed as the flames began to burn.

----

When she opened her eyes again, she was back at sanctuary in the lab. There were three concerned faces hovering over her. Rei quickly sat up and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry, I had another nightmare."

* * *

TBC... 


	7. Shattered

Here's Chapter 7 finally

Again I seem to find myself apologizing for the super long wait. Hopefully it will pick up now that i'm on break from school and the dog show season is winding down but I can't make any solid promises.

As always I would like to thank my reviewers!!!!

I love hearing from you guys good or bad so keep the comments coming.

Here it is and I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!

All disclaimers apply.

* * *

It had barely been a week since Rei had begun training and her progress was astounding.

When Shal first started teaching her to fight, Rei spent most of the sessions thrown to the mat by the more experienced feral. But now the two females were almost evenly matched, and Shalimar was spending almost as much time on the floor as Rei.

Brennan on the other hand was having a problem teaching Rei anything when it came to burglary. The problem wasn't that she couldn't learn what he was teaching, but that she already knew how to do everything he tested her on.

Sometimes she even worked faster and more efficiently than Brennan was able to.

Rei's skills as a thief were incredible, and Jesse found out that she was just as proficient in her hacking skills.

Overall the young feral progressed faster than even Adam had thought possible in the time he had given her. She was ready for anything this mission could throw at her.

The only thing the Mutant X team worried about were Rei's nightmares.

Every night Rei tossed and turned in a fitful sleep, and more often than not woke up screaming in a panic.

The young woman was utterly terrified that the obsessed fire starter was going to find her, and once they left Sanctuary to begin their mission that was a very real possibility.

Shalimar still didn't like the idea of putting Rei in that situation, but there was simply no choice. They were set to leave in the morning, and once they started there was no turning back.

----------------

Rei closed the door to her room behind her and pulled a pair of pajamas out of her dresser. As she changed she looked around the room.

Originally she was rooming with Shalimar, but because of her constant nightmares, Rei had asked to have her own room. The young feral hated the idea of having someone loose sleep over her insecurities.

The room she had been given was one of the empty storage rooms on the second floor of the hanger.

It was small and only contained a bed, side table, and dresser but she felt relatively safe there.

Rei dreaded leaving for the mission in the morning. She knew Brennan and Shalimar would do their best to keep her safe, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that it wouldn't be enough.

Even within the walls of Mutant X's Sanctuary Taylor still seemed to have her in his grip. Any sense of security she gained during the day was immediately torn apart as soon as those piercing eyes of his invaded her dreams.

Being a feral, Rei didn't need a whole lot of sleep to begin with, but these nightmares were definitely beginning to push her past her limit.

Her heart skipped a beat and she began to panic at the mere thought of falling asleep.

Almost instantly she felt Emma's reassuring presence and it wasn't long before the attack began to fade.

Once she had calmed down, Rei looked over at the clock on the nightstand.

2:26 A.M.

Guilt washed through her as she realized she had yet again woken Emma up in the middle of the night. She pulled down the covers and climbed into bed, resolved to spend the rest of the night staring up at the ceiling until she just couldn't stay awake.

-------------------

Three hours later and Rei had memorized every detail of the seemingly plain ceiling.

She looked over at the clock. In less than 5 minutes her alarm would go off and it would be time to get ready to leave on their mission.

With a tired sigh she got out of bed, tossed the cordless clock into her suitcase, and headed to the girl's bathroom to get ready for the day.

-------------------

Shalimar watched Rei trudge past her door, apparently on the way to the bathroom, with a curious eye.

She was surprised to see the other feral up so early. Normally it was so late by the time sleep found her that Rei was almost always the last one up in the morning.

The older blonde heard the shower turn on and went back to packing the last of her things.

Shal had just finished when the sound of glass breaking made her jump. It had come from the bathroom, and Shal immediately ran down the hall to see what had happened.

She threw open the door and was shocked by what she saw.

The door to the shower was shattered and Rei was sitting up against the wall surrounded by blood and broken glass.

Shalimar grabbed a few towels and quickly ran to Rei's side. The young redhead's body was shaking and she was covered in cuts from the glass. Her hand was clamped over a particularly deep gash just above her wrist.

When Shalimar kneeled down next to her, Rei looked up at her with a slightly blank expression and tears ran silently down her cheeks.

Shal immediately wrapped one of the towels around the cut on Rei's arm and draped the other over her body.

Once the younger feral was decently covered, Shal returned her attention to the deep wound that was the cause of most of the blood around them.

As she applied pressure to stop the bleeding, she asked Rei what on Earth had happened.

"I… I… I don't know exactly. I just felt dizzy all of a sudden. I suppose I put my hand out to steady myself and it went right through the glass and I fell through the door."

She closed her eyes and rested her head on Shalimar's shoulder.

"Shal, I'm really tired."

Shalimar quickly sat her back up.

"No Rei. Rei, wake up; you can't go to sleep right now. You have to stay awake."

"Sorry, but I can't."

Rei drifted off again and Shalimar tried in vain to wake her back up.

The blonde feral was attempting to pull Rei to her feet when Jesse appeared in the doorway.

"Hey Shal, what's all the noise ab…"

He gasped when he finally comprehended the scene in front of him.

"My God Shal what happened?"

"I'll tell you in a minute, right now I need you to help me get her to the lab."

Without hesitation Jesse ran over and scooped the unconscious Rei into his arms, and rushed over to the lab as Shalimar ran to wake Adam and the others.

* * *

TBC... 


	8. On Our Way

Wow I can't believe I let this story slip for a whole year! I can not apologize enough and while I can't promise it won't happen again but I think Nikko-Chan will be sure to keep me on track now. She has unofficially become my beta reader and its thanks to her that this is getting updated at all.

It's a little short but not terribly so.

I hope you guys like it and don't forget to review!!!

* * *

Jesse put Rei down in the lab just as the others came rushing in.

"Shalimar what happened?" Adam questioned as he began tending to Rei's wounds.

Shal shook her head. "I don't know she said she felt dizzy all of a sudden and she fell through the shower door."

"How bad is it?" Brennan asked from his spot in the doorway.

The lab equipment whirred to life and did a whole body scan of the girl.

Adam read the results as they popped up on the monitor.

"It's not. The scan is showing that except for the laceration on her wrist all of the cuts are superficial. A few stitches and she'll be good to go. Our bigger problem is figuring out what caused the dizziness."

"I think I have a theory." Emma said wiping the blood off Rei's face. "The problem has to just be fatigue. She hasn't been sleeping, and last night was no exception. She was up just a few hours ago and I doubt she got very much sleep, if any, between then and now. The problem is Taylor. He is so in her head it's impeding her ability to function, but I don't know how to help her. I've done all I can think of to do to help her."

Adam put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We know Emma. The fact is, its up to her now. There isn't anything else we can do."

--------------------------------------

It took another hour for Rei to regain consciousness and the entire team discussed if they were going to go through with the mission. Ultimately it was up to Rei, and she had whole-heartedly agreed that they needed to continue with the plan.

The feral was determined not to let Taylor continue to screw with her life. He wasn't a threat at the moment and all of what she was feeling was in her head. She had to get over it; she NEEDED to, for her sake and for the rest of the group's.

She watched skyline zip past from the back seat of the jeep Brennan had hotwired after they had ditched the Helix. The wind rushing around her was soothing as they sped down the highway toward their target. Rei couldn't help but smirk as she thought about where they were headed.

In a few hours they would be in Las Vegas. Adam sure knew how to pick a mark. The trio's target was the Mandalay Bay, one of the biggest hotel casino's on the strip. It would definitely not be hard for the people they were looking for to find them. The job, botched as it would be, would make headlines not only in Vegas but across the country. They were as good as in from the moment they set foot inside the building.

Shalimar and Brennan sat quietly in the front seat. From the glimpses he was catching in the rear view mirror Brennan knew that Rei was feeling relaxed. He saw her smirk and the corner of his mouth curled into one of his own.

He could tell she was excited about the mark they were headed toward. It was pretty exciting after all. It wasn't every day that a thief got to play around with one of the most advanced security systems out there knowing it wasn't going to result in any real jail time.

In the passenger seat next to him Shalimar didn't look quite as pleased. Worry was etched onto her face.

"What's on your mind Shal?"

The blond feral sighed and turned her attention to Brennan. "I'm just worried about this that's all. The hit, getting caught, the mission, Taylor possibly finding Rei, all of it, I just have this really bad feeling about the whole thing."

She let a small smile crawl across her face. "I am intrigued to see the two of you work though, and Vegas is my kinda town."

"Late nights and bright lights. It's amazing there." Rei's face appeared between the two. "We just can't go anywhere near the Bellagio or the Luxor." She blushed under their questioning gaze. "Let's just say I was a little too good at roulette and blackjack and that didn't sit too well with the umm, management."

Brennan laughed. "So, we have a card counter in our midst."

"Yeah well what can I say, I'm a jack of all trades."

"I understand the card counting, but how did you cheat at roulette?" Shalimar asked slightly confused.

Rei sat back in her seat. "Its nothing fancy. Just math." Their blank faces told her more explanation was needed. "If you calculate the velocity of the ball and the wheel and a few other things quick enough you can tell where the ball will land. After watching the table for a while you can guess the bounce with relative accuracy, and then you're on your way to easy winning with just enough of a loss margin to not get caught."

"So how'd they catch you?" Brennan asked with a smart-alecky grin.

"I'm a little too good at calling the bounce, and Taylor was a little too greedy for our own good."

The mood in the car shifted at the mention of Taylor.

Rei's eyes turned back to the desert landscape. The sun was starting to set and the oranges and reds that played across the sand at the horizon were truly breathtaking. Rei lost herself in the scenery for a moment before a muffled sound brought her back. She brought her focus back to the front seat.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Shalimar turned to face her. "I said we're still an hour or two out, why don't you relax and try to get some rest before we get into the city."

The younger feral nodded and slid down into her seat. "Okay, I'll try."

Minutes passed as she watched the sun slip lower and lover in the sky. She was asleep before it disappeared, and surprisingly enough she slept peacefully the remainder of the ride.

She was still asleep when they pulled into the six story parking deck at the Mandalay Bay. As Brennan parked the jeep, Shalimar leaned back and shook Rei's knee to wake her. "Rei c'mon time to wake up."

Rei stirred and looked around groggily. "Hrm… What?"

Brennan appeared next to her. "Let's go we're here."

The elemental tossed Shalimar her bag and then grabbed his own. Rei grabbed hers and followed the other two to the elevators. When they reached the main floor Brennan and Shalimar headed toward the resort lobby. Rei stopped short behind them.

"Guys. Uh Guys!" The pair turned around. "Where are you going."

Shalimar threw her thumb over her shoulder toward the bright lobby. "We're going to go check in, what else?"

"We're staying in THEhotel not the resort. We have to check in over at the tower, which is this way."

"Alright smarty pants, lead the way." Brennan said with a shrug as he and Shalimar followed Rei to the other building.

Once they were checked in and their room service dinner had arrived they cleared off the table in the sitting room and went over their plans. The plan was simple at the shift change Brennan was going to cause a commotion with the slot machines. At the same time Shal and Rei were going to slip into the back and head up to the security area.

As soon as they gave him the signal Brennan would then slip out of sight to the vault where he would "accidentally" trigger the failsafe and cause a security lockdown.

The plan was perfect, and in a few hours they would be on their way to the holding facility where their real mission would begin.

* * *

**TBC...**


	9. The Big Night

Another chapter!!! You can all thank Nikko-chan for pushing me to write the next chapter already.

ENJOY!

* * *

The adrenaline running through the room as the three got ready for the mission, was intense. Brennan and Rei were used to the rush before a big score and more or less ignored the sensation, but Shalimar could feel it reverberating through the suite in waves.

It set her on edge, but in a good way.

The only thing stronger in the room was the sense of excitement. Her two partners in crime were clearly revved up about their hit, fake as it was, and their excitement was contagious.

Shal checked herself in the mirror.

Her outfit was hardly inconspicuous. The loose flashy silver halter top and fitted black pants would stand out anywhere, anywhere that is except Las Vegas. On the floor of the Mandalay Bay Casino she would blend right in.

Rei strode back into the bathroom looking for the silver butterfly clip that would accent her swooping up-do. Her outfit was practically an inverse to Shalimar's. In black, heeled boots, a just below the knee flowy silver skirt, and a tight black silk tank; the young feral was truly stunning.

They had decided to add black gloves that came up to her elbows to the ensemble to minimize the number of visible cuts, which were already fading, since most of them were on her arms.

Shal scowled a bit when she noticed that the girl had cut the hands from the gloves. "What on Earth did you do to those things?"

Rei followed her eyes to her bare hands. "What? They were too constricting. And besides if they don't find my prints all over everything I might be tempted to talk myself out of trouble." She answered with a smirk.

Brennan floated into the doorway in his full black Armani suit. "Like they'd believe you once they got a good look at your rap sheet."

Rei frowned at him playfully, "Like yours are any better."

Brennan laughed. "True, but yours is the only one that's real."

They all laughed at that and Rei fixed the barrette in her hair. She stared at everyone's reflection in the big mirror and took a deep breath. Even in Vegas they were quite the trio and were sure to draw some attention.

She turned to the others. "Shall we?"

----------------------

It didn't take them long to get to the casino and they hadn't drawn too much attention. The trio split and fanned out. Brennan headed over toward the slot machines, and Shal and Rei each separately headed to the employee only door at the back corner.

Brennan got to his mark first but the girls were having trouble getting through the crowd. Every male eye they passed was instantly on them, and some of them were even brave enough to try their best lines.

Shalimar was handling it like a pro. With a glance she noticed that Rei was having a slightly harder time but was still holding her own and making her way across the floor.

The blond feral found it slightly amusing that her younger counterpart was uncomfortable being the center of attention. Put her in front of a safe or a supercomputer and she's cool as a cucumber, dress her up and throw some guys into the mix and she barely keeps her head above water.

The thought made Shalimar smile even wider.

Brennan had to stop himself from stepping in to help Rei out and only relaxed once both girls made it to the employee door.

He watched with what he hoped looked like casual interest as Rei slipped a code breaker keycard, something Jesse had whipped up special, from her boot. Shal blocked the view of the camera while the redhead swiped the card through the door lock. A few seconds passed and then the red light on the door blinked green as it clicked open.

That was when Brennan nonchalantly sent a jolt through the bank of slot machines he was leaning against, setting the winner buzzers all off at once.

Every eye in the room, including those of the security team, was on the bank of slot machines. It was at that precise moment the two ferals disappeared into the doorway.

The dark haired elemental sauntered down a few rows getting out of the way of the frantic casino patrons that began diving after the coins the machines suddenly began spilling.

Keeping the girls informed through the comm rings, Brennan sat back at the bar and waited for their signal to head for the vault.

---------------------------------------

The two girls casually made their way through the deserted corridors doing their best to look lost and maybe a little tipsy if they encountered an employee, but they had yet to see anyone.

Shalimar didn't see anything wrong with the absence of the staff, but it made Rei nervous. She knew they were supposed to get caught, but something wasn't right about this. Even with the distraction on the main floor the security team should have someone keeping an eye on the monitors.

Two more turns and they would be in the auxiliary security room and a few minutes after that Rei would have access to their internal systems. The seconds ticked by excruciatingly slowly as they crept down the remainder of the tiled hall.

They rounded the last corner and finally the door to the room they were looking for came into view. The second the image registered in Rei's brain she stopped dead in the hall. Something was wrong, something was very wrong.

She grabbed Shalimar bringing her to a stop and raised a finger to her mouth requesting silence. Rei's mind took in all it was seeing. At first glance the security door would pass as normal, but Rei was hard wired to notice details and they were all screaming foul play.

The electronic lock showed the door was locked with its red light, but the panel was slightly off center and concentrating on the small sliver of space between the frame and the door revealed the dead bolt not in place.

As stealthy as a cat creeping after its prey Shalimar made her way to the door. It was faint but she could definitely make out the frantic clicking of keys on a keyboard.

The two ferals silently made their way back around the last corner before either dared speak a word.

"Bren we have a problem, there is already someone in the security room." Shal whispered into her comm ring.

Rei jumped in. "And by the look of the door it isn't one of the security staff. I think someone else is trying to hack into their systems!"

Brennan almost choked on his drink. Someone was trying to rob the Mandalay Bay at exactly the same time they were!

* * *

**TBC...**


	10. Complications

Here's another update, not as fast as I wanted to post it but at least its up right lol.

Enjoy!

* * *

This was just ridiculous. Rei could not believe that someone had beaten them to the punch. It just wasn't fair, and she wasn't going to stand for it.

She silently crept back down the hall to the corner before the door. A slightly confused Shalimar followed her. Once they were in position Rei turned to Shal and made a series of hand gestures.

"WHAT?" Shal mouthed to her.

Rei smiled and rolled her eyes. She forgot for a second that she wasn't working with her normal crew. Of course Shalimar wouldn't understand the hand signals Rei was used to. She dragged Shal back down the hall a bit.

"We're going in there and stopping who ever the heck that is. I am not going to let this go sideways just cause some amateurs beat us here and screwed the pooch. The lock on the door isn't engaged, you go to the right I'll go to the left. We'll kick the door in and neutralize them. There can't be more than three guys in there, the room isn't big enough for more than that."

Brennan overheard them through the comms and didn't like where this was going. "Rei, no. This is not a good plan we don't know who you two are up against it is too risky. Just get back out here and we'll plan a different hit."

"Uh … Bren" Shal responded.

Brennan sighed. "She left already, didn't she."

"That would be a yes. Anytime you wanna start heading to the vault would be a good time. I'm not sure how this is going to play out." With that said Shalimar followed after the younger feral and Brennan followed her suggestion and made his way down to the vault.

--------------------------

Rei was waiting at one side of the door when Shalimar caught up with her. After a quick count to three Shalimar kicked open the door and Rei barged in taking out the guy closest to her with Shal right behind her.

A few moments later and the two ferals had everyone else in the room in different levels of unconsciousness and were finished tying the last few guys hands behind their backs with their belts.

"Well that was pretty easy." Rei said as she stood up and walked over to the bank of computers.

Shal smirked at the other feral. "Oh yeah a walk in the park," She rolled her eyes "even considering your three guys ended up being more like five."

Rei shrugged and turned her attention to the bank of computers at the back of the room, while Shalimar stood watch at the door.

In minutes she was hacked into the mainframe. The first thing she did was loop the security camera feeds, and pull up the live shots so she could monitor the hallways. They didn't want to get busted before they crossed the line from misdemeanor into felony. It was embarrassing enough professionally that she was going to get caught in the first place.

As she was working her way through the security codes to the vault, movement in one of the security feeds caught her eye. She went right back to work when she saw that is was just Brennan making his way down to the vault.

Thirty seconds later she was in and could finally see the view of the security cameras inside the vault. She narrowed her eyes when she saw that the casino's cash balance wasn't the only thing in it.

"Shal get down to the vault. When I get the door open Brennan is going to need some help."

The blond feral walked up behind Rei and looked at the video on the screen. "Security?"

Rei shook her head. "No, looks like the second half of our competition here." She commented nodding toward the unconscious men behind them. "You better head down there and give him a hand."

"You sure you can handle things up here alone?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Rei watched Shalimar leave and then turned her attention back to the computer monitor. She continued to work as she informed Brennan of the change in plans through the comm ring. "Hey Bren, you got company in the vault. Shalimar's on her way down, hang tight."

A feral grin crossed the red head's face as she finally broke the security code and had full access to the entire system including the vault. Now she just had to wait for Shalimar to get down there to open the doors. A link in the corner of the screen caught her eye. Curiosity got the better of her and she clicked it.

"Nice."

Her eyes were glued to the screen as she realized just what she was looking at. Right at her finger tips was the Mandalay Bay's banking accounts. Balances, account numbers, transfer codes… it would only take a few keystrokes and she could have more money than she could hope to spend in ten lifetimes. It would be so EASY.

Shalimar's voice on the comm snapped her out of her larcenous daydream. She was at the vault and was wondering what was taking Rei so long to get the door open.

"Sorry." Her fingers flew across the keyboard and in seconds it was unlocked. "You got four guys in there two to the front and two toward the back. I'm gunna trigger the alarm in three minutes so make sure you at least look like you're robbing the place by then."

Once the door was open, it took Brennan and Shal less than 30 seconds to dispatch of the four guys and begin their fictional looting. That left 180 whole seconds for Rei to stare at the banking link she had found with her fingers itching to open it again.

She was so focused on the screen in front of her she didn't notice the security guard coming down the hall toward her on the monitor to her left.

He had noticed the open door that Shalimar had not thought to close behind her, and was approaching cautiously with his gun drawn. When he arrived at the door and looked in he was shocked to see the unconscious men on the floor and a girl at the computer with her back toward him.

He clicked his radio on but was too close to the intruder to say anything into it. He froze when she started typing, but continued forward once it was clear she was entirely focused on the task in front of her.

In three long strides he was behind her.

Rei froze suddenly as she felt the air shudder slightly behind her. She spun around when she heard the distinct click of the safety being disengaged on a gun.

She was nose to nose with the gun when the burly security guy in front of her told her to freeze. It took every ounce of her self control to not spring into action, disarm the guy, and drop him cold. The end game of this little mission was to be caught and she had been, fair and square.

The only problem was she hadn't yet set off the alarms and if she didn't, it would take the security staff another 10 minutes to check the vault. By then any real thief would be LONG gone, and Shalimar and Brennan needed to get snagged with her. She took what she hoped looked like a startled step back and hit the enter key on the keyboard as she brought her hands up.

"I said DON'T move!" The guard barked taking a step forward, moving the gun level with her chest.

"Alright, alright. No need to get touchy." She wrinkled her nose a bit. "Can I put my arms down now? My muscles are starting to burn."

"Shut up and lock your fingers together behind your head!"

Rei did as she was told and stayed quiet as the guard pulled out his radio.

"This is McCoy checking in. I have a single female intruder contained in the auxiliary security room, and several unidentified unconscious males."

"Bring her down to holding. We have a situation at the vault as well."

"Will do."

Rei yelped in pain as McCoy spun her around and slammed her into the wall so he could pull her arms down and cuff them behind her back. "Oww! Geeze no need to be so rough, I'm not resisting!" She winced even more as he put the cuffs on and the hard metal dug into her scabbed over cuts.

She was so ready to kick his ass, but instead stumbled along without a word as he dragged her by her upper arm out of the room and down the hall.

* * *

TBC...


	11. Past Experience

I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter, it was a BLAST lol.

Hope you like it and have as much fun reading it as I had writing it.

Don't forget to review!

* * *

Rei scowled at the security employee as he practically threw her into the chair in the bright interrogation room.

"Do you usually man handle unarmed defenseless young women? I think I'm gunna have a bruise on my arm for cryin out loud! I want your full name so I know who to sue later for excessive force. In fact, I'd like to talk to your supervisor. Get him in here right now. You know what… Just to be safe let's get your supervisor's supervisor. You'll be lucky if you're still employed after…"

The security guard slammed his hands on the steel table and the feral immediately stopped and winced at the sound.

"ENOUGH! Now you just shut your mouth, sit there, and wait."

Without another word he walked out of the room red-faced. Rei rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

_This is going to take forever._

----------------

Shal and Brennan were in the same situation as Rei at the moment. They too had been quickly apprehended and escorted to their own separate holding rooms. Shalimar couldn't help but smirk when she heard the racket Rei made coming down the hall and then in her interrogation room, yelling and complaining the whole time.

She had to hand it to the younger feral. The girl sure knew how to put on a show. She was extremely convincing.

Shalimar just hoped that Jesse and Emma would be just as convincing as their lawyers and get them where they needed to be.

It had been over two hours already and she was beginning to wonder what was taking so long when she heard footsteps coming down the tiled hall.

The blond feral turned her attention to the room to her left when she heard voices begin to chat. That was the room Rei had been put in and apparently the police had finally made their appearance.

---------------

As Rei sat there in the interrogation room she tried not to focus on the fact that the cut on her wrist had opened up and a small amount of blood was now running down her hand, dripping on the ground. She shifted in her seat a bit trying to get the cuffs to sit more comfortably, but stopped when she heard someone unlocking the door.

The redhead looked over her shoulder to see who was entering the room.

The corner of her lip curled up in a small smile when she recognized the face. "Special Agent Landry, long time no see."

The FBI agent gave her his own smirk and sat in the chair across the table. "It has been a long time. The last time I believe was when, we had you and some of Taylor's crew in custody after you stole those pieces of art from that museum in Olympia."

Rei interrupted him.

"I believe I was found innocent in that case. I don't appreciate the slander Parker." She countered with a smile.

"Let's stick with Special Agent Landry shall we, and we both know you only got off on account of a technicality."

The young woman's smile got even broader. "You do have to admit that the custodial chain of evidence procedures just aren't what they used to be."

The Special Agent got a bit more serious with her. "Well that shouldn't be a problem in this case. You were careless Raina. Even just an initial glance at the evidence is enough to put you and your little team away for at least 20 years. You didn't wear gloves, you and your team are all clearly visible on the surveillance feeds before you looped them, the plans left on the coffee table in the suite you paid for with a credit card in your real name, and the contents of the casino safe in the hands of your team members when they were apprehended. It was extremely amateur work coming from you. I've seen what you are capable of and this wasn't even close."

Rei shrugged her shoulders and tried to sound unconcerned. "What can I say, it was a spur of the moment type thing and I hadn't planned on sticking around long enough for it to matter."

Parker opened up the file in front of him.

"Only thing I don't understand are the nine other guys we found unconscious in both the vault and the security room. You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

Rei shrugged her shoulders again. "Honestly I have no idea. All I know is that they were beating us to our score and I wasn't about to let them walk out with our soon to be hard earned cash."

She studied the Special Agent's face while he pondered her answer.

The truth was she genuinely liked the young agent. He was in his mid to late thirties with jet black hair and dark brown eyes. He was handsome but not overly so, with just a hint of Asian ancestry showing in his facial features. At just slightly taller than her and athletically built, he was defiantly attractive.

His good looks weren't the only things she liked about him though.

The last time he had her in custody he had taken the time to really figure out who she was instead of just trying to prove she was guilty. It was frankly a little scary just how accurate he had been back then.

He had seen right through her and read her like an open book. Back then she was teetering on the edge of loyalty and terror with Taylor and he had known. The FBI Agent had even gone to the extreme of offering her both immunity and protection if she had just given him what he needed to lock Taylor away for good.

Rei had wanted to help him then, she really did but she knew she couldn't betray Taylor. She owed him her life. Back then she was already well aware that if she didn't give it to him willingly he would take it by force, and there was no one that could protect her from him.

Even now she was still skeptical of Mutant X's ability to protect her.

A quick stir of air and a clicking sound right in front of her face brought her back to reality. Parker was leaning over the table right in her face with a concerned look. She tiled her head at him confused while her brain processed what just happened.

"Did you just snap your fingers at me?"

Special Agent Landry sat back in his chair. "You spaced out on me there for a minute. And don't stare with your head tilted like that, you look like a dog."

He chuckled when Rei pouted and slouched down in her seat a bit. The agent scowled when he noticed the spots of blood on the floor under her chair. He got up and went around the table to her looking her over from head to toe.

"Are you bleeding?"

She shrank away from him slightly embarrassed. She knew what he was going to assume once he saw the cuts up and down her arms. She also knew he'd order a full physical before she was taken into custody. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing since Adam had already patched her up excellently, but he would assume it was Taylor and attempt to get her immunity and into protective custody. Now she regretted the fact that he happened to be the FBI agent on the case. He meant well but there was a very good chance he was going to throw a wrench into their entire plan.

"The handcuffs just broke open a cut that's all. Officer McCoy wasn't exactly gentle as a lamb."

Without a second thought Parker undid her restraints and put her hands on the table before walking over to the intercom on the wall and requesting a first aid kit.

He walked back over to the table, pulled her gloves off, and intently examined her arms. The feral flinched and pulled away at first, but his hands were surprisingly gentle and he had a very light touch over the sensitive skin.

Rei was so entranced by the intent look on his face that she hardly even registered the fact that he had bent down and his right hand was pulling up her shirt so he could get a good look at her ribs.

With a startled jerk she jumped up and away from him when she heard the door opening. The motion knocked her chair over and elicited a sharp look from the casino security officer that had entered the room with the first aid kit.

He eyed the female suspect where she stood nervously in the corner with one hand over her heart and the other wrapped around her waist, taking notice of the thin trail of blood running down her arm. His eyes then focused on the turned over chair and the empty handcuffs on the table. "Everything alright here sir?" He questioned addressing the FBI Agent.

Special Agent Landry gave him a curt nod and took the first aid kit from him.

"Everything is fine. Let me know when the transport van arrives."

"Yes sir." With one last glance between the two, the man left the room closing the door behind him.

Once she was sure he was far enough away from the door Rei walked over to the first aid kit Parker had placed on the table, and pulled out some antiseptic wipes. The young woman didn't even look up when she heard what she knew he was going to say.

"I can protect you from him Raina. All you have to do is let me in and I can make sure he never hurts you again."

The smirk that spread across her features couldn't be helped. "Still playing the knight in shining armor to all the damsels in distress I see." Rei quipped as she started to wrap the now clean cut with gauze.

"Old habits die hard."

She could feel the tension in his voice and was having a very hard time sticking to her guns and turning down his offer. There was something about him that kept pulling her toward him every time their paths crossed. It was a feeling so similar to what she had felt for Taylor in the beginning that it terrified her to think what would happen if she let it dictate her actions.

"Despite the fact that you will refuse to believe what I have to say, I will tell you that Taylor was not responsible for these. I lost a fight with a shower door a few days ago, and broken glass is a very unforgiving opponent."

Rei didn't resist when Parker walked over to her and tilted her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes.

The look she saw reflected in them told her that not only would he do what it took to keep her safe in protective custody, but that would even go to the extreme of running away with her to keep her safe from the repercussions of the law as well. He would leave everything for her.

Her heart jumped and butterflies filled her stomach as he leaned his head down so that his forehead was resting against hers.

She watched his mouth with half lidded eyes. A tingling sensation covered her lips and she bit her bottom one to stop herself. She put her hands on his chest between them but did not push away.

"This is dangerous for me." She whispered and dropped her gaze to her hands.

"I can protect you from him."

Goosebumps formed on her skin as she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"Taylor's not the one putting me in danger right now." She leaned in closer to him for one more moment before pulling away and taking a few steps across the room. "You are."

* * *

**TBC...**


	12. A Choice

Alrighty here's the next chapter a little shorter than the last one but still decent.

enjoy!

* * *

Brennan was getting antsy. It had been hours, and so far he had yet to see anyone including the members of his team. He had heard a slight commotion just after he was brought in, but that was all.

The Elemental paced back and forth but still couldn't shake the foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. The sooner he got to touch base with the girls the better.

-------------

Rei righted her chair and sank down into it, while Parker took a moment to regain his composure.

They both jumped when the man from before knocked on the door before coming in. He still had a suspicious look in his eye when he informed Special Agent Landry that the transport vehicle had arrived.

The FBI Agent thanked him and then walked over to Rei. He apologetically pulled the young woman's arms behind her back and re-secured them with the handcuffs, careful to keep them loose around her injuries.

The security officer cleared his throat when Parker hovered just a little too long at her shoulders.

"Right then." Parker announced, getting a grip on himself. "Let's get them loaded into the van and we'll head down to FBI headquarters."

Rei balked and looked over at him. "FBI headquarters? That isn't exactly standard procedure there Parker."

The security guard's eyebrows arched up at the familiarity with which she used the FBI Agent's first name.

The feral ignored the guard's look. "Well earlier when they called our lawyers they sent them over to Clark County. You may want to get a hold of them, cause as of right now… I'm gunna have to speak with my lawyer before I talk to you again. You understand, _Special Agent Landry_."

------------------------

Shalimar and Brennan were already in the back of the transport van when Parker opened the door and helped Rei inside.

Both members of Mutant X gave them an odd look over the careful way the Special Agent helped the younger feral and the way they were both staring at each other the entire time. Shal was especially curious about the odd expression on the man's face.

The moment the doors shut and the three new mutants were alone, Brennan asked the question they were both thinking.

"Who's he?"

Rei sighed, leaned her head back against the wall, and closed her eyes. "He is a long story, and probably the person who is going to single handedly ruin our plan."

Now Shalimar was concerned. "What do you mean?"

Opening her eyes but still focused on the ceiling of the van Rei explained the whole history she had with Special Agent Parker Landry. The Mutant X members listened intently as she took them through step by step including the encounter today. She started with their first meeting way back when she was 17 and Taylor's crew was just getting into the big leagues and making a name for themselves.

The red head couldn't help but smile at the memory. The FBI had stormed their hideout and Parker had trapped Rei in one of the back rooms, or so he thought. He was just a rookie himself then and underestimated the petite 17 year old girl. It was a mistake that had put the rookie on desk duty for the next few weeks while the torn ligaments in his right shoulder healed, and one that he never made again in the many encounters the two had throughout the next few years.

The pair had both perfected their trades together although at opposite spectrums of the law. They each pushed the other to their limits and as a result both became experts in their fields trying to outsmart the other.

Parker had also been there to see the shift in the relationship dynamic between Rei and Taylor. He had watched as the young woman changed a little each time the two met. She went from a cocky witty pain in the ass, to a timid jumpy girl that looked a little worse for wear each time he saw her. He slowly watched as the fire in Rei's eyes died over the years.

Rei had to admit to herself though that their meeting this time held more of the witty banter they used to exchange early on and she was finally realizing just how poisonous Taylor's influence was on her.

Realizing she had spaced out slightly, Rei blinked and looked at the slightly confused faces of Brennan and Shalimar.

"So you have an intimate relationship with an FBI agent and it hadn't occurred to you that this may interfere with our plans in any way?" Brennan questioned with a hint of accusation in his voice.

A nervous flush covered her face, and she suddenly became very interested in her feet. "I just figured by the time he got involved we'd already be where we needed to be. It was just bad luck that he happened to be on the west coast working on another case."

Shalimar sighed. "Adam are you getting all of this?"

"I am Shalimar, and it seems that we are going to have to let this Special Agent in on our little plan if we are going to make it work. Like it or not FBI trumps any jurisdiction that the Las Vegas Police would have in the case, so our only help of getting you three to Clark County is getting his cooperation. Rei, are you comfortable with this?"

"Sure, I'm okay with it. I just hope he believes me and agrees to help out."

"Alright, I'll inform Jesse and Emma of the changes and check in on you three later. Be careful and watch each other's backs."

"We will Adam." Brennan assured him before Shal severed the comm ring link.

Rei leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She was suddenly very tired and couldn't stifle the yawn that escaped.

Her eyes flew open and she blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry… I'm just so tired."

Brennan slouched down in his seat. "Grabbing a quick nap isn't such a bad idea. Take a few minutes to grab some sleep. Don't worry we'll wake you up when we get there."

"Thanks Brennan," Another yawn broke up her thought. "I'll just close my eyes for a bit."

* * *

**TBC...**


	13. Compromise

I can't apologize enough for the long wait on this life is kickin my butt a little at the moment lol.

Hope you enjoy!

and reviews are appreciated in case you hadn't guessed :)

* * *

Shalimar watched the interactions between Rei and Parker with extreme interest. The sexual tension in the room was obvious to everyone but them. If only they had met under normal circumstances they could have had the happily ever after romance every little girl dreams of. The two seemed to complete each other and there was no question that Parker would do whatever it took to do what was best for Rei.

That was what worried the blond feral.

Letting Rei go under cover with Mutant X where Taylor could find her, in an already dangerous situation, was not going to sit well with the Special Agent at all. She hoped Rei would be able to convince him and that he would feel confident enough in Shalimar and Brennan to allow them to protect her.

They would find out soon enough. After spending most of the day with various detectives, agents, and officers, Rei had finally convinced Special Agent Landry to talk with her alone in the holding cells. This allowed both Brennan and Shal to listen in on them through the barred windows in the walls.

Rei yawned and leaned her head back against the wall as she waited for Parker to come speak with her. It had been over 24 hours since she last slept and almost a week since she had gotten a full night's sleep. Her little catnap in the transport van helped a bit, but 20 minutes hardly made up for the hours upon hours she had already lost. As she sat there waiting she pulled on the handcuffs that still held her uncomfortably. In the next second the handcuffs were off and hooked on the corner post of her cot.

She heard a light chuckling to her left and glared at the barred window that connected her cell to Brennan's. The feral pushed herself off of the cot and sauntered over to the opening with a slight scowl on her face. She pulled herself up onto her tiptoes to make eye contact with Brennan, who was lounging on his cot with a smirk on his face.

"And just what are you finding so entertaining over there?"

The elemental flashed a smile at her. "Nothing really Shal and I just made a bet on how long you were going to leave those on, and now she owes me $5."

Rei scrunched up her nose at him. "You two must really be bored." She commented to the two of them as she sat back down on the cot.

This time it was Shalimar who chuckled. "Oh I dunno, watching you and _Special Agent Landry _go back and forth all day has been _quite_ entertaining."

The red head immediately felt her face heat up and was thankful neither of them could see the bright shade of red her cheeks had turned. Her eyes went wide and she tried to think of something to come back with but was too flustered by Shal's suggestive tone.

"It's not… We're not… He's." Both of the other two new mutants were quietly chuckling at her, which made her take even longer to get past her embarrassment and form a coherent thought. Once she did she stood up and stomped her foot. "We are not like that! And if we were I definitely don't appreciate the comments from the two of…"

Rei was interrupted by the sound of a certain FBI agent clearing his throat at her front of her cell.

"Parker!" She practically shrieked before feeling her cheeks grow even hotter and slumping back down into her seat, embarrassed.

The Special Agent smiled to himself and stepped aside to let the guard unlock the bared door and pull it back for him to enter the cell. The guard closed the door behind him and then mumbled something about being right down the hall.

One of Parker's eyebrows rose in a questioning arch when he spotted the empty handcuffs on the cot. Rei flushed even more but simply shrugged her shoulders when he met her gaze.

"12 hours later and I was getting uncomfortable."

Parker couldn't help but sigh and shake his head at the young woman in front of him. He sat down in the chair at the front of the cell and just studied her for a moment. A light pink blush played across her cheeks, and her eyes darted nervously around the room occasionally locking with his eyes before immediately shifting down and away. She was sitting all the way back on the cot with her back resting against the wall. Her knees were pulled up to her chest with her arms locked around them.

She was nervous.

The FBI agent decided to get right down to business. "So what is it you wanted to discuss?"

The anxiety in her body language revved up a notch as she seemed to compose her thoughts. He watched her eyes dart up to the windows that connected her cell to the others curiously. Parker was extremely interested in the relationship between Rei and her new accomplices.

Special Agent Parker Landry sat perfectly still in his seat completely riveted by the wild story the young woman in front of him was weaving.

Fantastic as it was, he knew what Rei was telling him was nothing but the truth. All of the bravado she normally exuded was stripped from her very being. She sat hunched, muscles rigid, and her voice shook and cracked with the anxiety she was so obviously feeling.

When she was done silence filled all three of the connected rooms and the only thing that could be heard was Rei's ragged breathing.

Parker ran through the information she had given him. Sure he had heard the vague rumors of those out there with _special_ talents, but he'd never given any credence to them. Then to find out that not only were they true, but that his Rei was one of was a little much.

In hindsight it explained so much about her that he could never quite put his finger on before, but it also shattered his reality when it came to the young woman.

But that wasn't the part of the story that unsettled him the most. She had started right from the beginning and had for the very first time given him a truthful view of the horrors he had merely imagined in respect to Taylor. The fear in her eyes as she went over that part of her story was more than he could stand. The law be damned. When he got his hands on Taylor he was going to kill him, powers or not.

As for this little mission Rei was planning on completing with her new "friends" it was far too dangerous, and Parker didn't like it one bit. He knew though that she wasn't going to be dissuaded from it so he reluctantly had agreed to help them.

He went to the door and dismissed the guard from the hallway so it would be just the four of them. He brought Shalimar and Brennan into Rei's cell. Parker took a seat next to her on the cot while Shal crouched at the other end and Brennan took the chair.

The next hour was spent coming up with and going over a plan. Parker only agreed to help once they agreed to keep him in the loop should Taylor show up or on the offhand that they were apprehended once more.

He was still extremely worried about Rei's safety but their plan seemed to be safe enough and they did have several exit strategies should anything get out of hand. At some point during the intense discussion Parker and the older members of Mutant X were having Rei had drifted off.

The special agent was reluctant to move once he realized the redhead was curled into his side fast asleep. He hated to disturb her, but staying any longer was going to raise some suspicion among his coworkers.

Trying his best to not jostle her Parker managed to slide out from under her and lay her onto the cot. He reached to pull the blanket over top of her but Shalimar beat him to it and had it over her. He took one last moment to sweep her bangs out of her eyes. His hand hovered over her cheek and he was lost in thought for a moment before Brennan brought him back to reality by clearing his throat.

He felt his face flush slightly at being caught bit didn't say anything as he led the other two back to their cells and made his way down the hall.

Parker knew in his head that their plan was well thought out and would keep Rei safe. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was lurking in the shadows for the young feral and there wasn't anything he could do to stop it.

* * *

TBC....


End file.
